ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's basketball team used a 50-30 advantage in rebounds to earn a 77-71 non-conference win against Central State Monday evening at the Hammermill Center.

The Lady Knights held a 43-29 lead at the half, but the Marauders opened the second half with a 16-2 run that tied the game at 45. Gannon then used a run of its own to regain an eight point lead. The Lady Knights scored eight points on baskets from four different players in just 59 seconds. 

Gannon pushed the lead out to 11 after a three-pointer from Caitlyn Lowe (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg) at the 7:21 mark. 

Another big Central State run kept the Marauders in the game, as they out-scored Gannon by an 11-2 margin over a three-minute span. Regina Allen and Laura Longmire hit three-pointers on back-to-back Central State possessions to account for six of the points. 

Jessie Tamerlano (North Royalton, Ohio / North Royalton) added a bucket for Gannon before the Marauders took the lead with a lay-up from Covington and a three from Allen. The 69-68 lead was the first for Central State since the 12:19 mark of the first half. 

Julie Kleber (Suffern, N.Y. / Suffern) gave Gannon a one-point lead with 1:34 left to play after hitting a pair of free throws. After a Central State miss, Kleber drove to the basket and gave Gannon a three-point lead with one minute left in the game.

A jumper from the Marauders put the score at 72-71 with 51 seconds left to play, but would be their final basket of the night as Gannon hit five of seven free throws down the stretch to earn the 77-71 win. 

In the first half, Central State scored the game's first four points, followed by four from the Lady Knights. Neither team led by more than five until Tamerlano sparked Gannon. The sophomore scored after grabbing an offensive rebound and then stole the ball on Central State's ensuing possession. After running the down the floor, Tamerlano passed the ball to Lowe for an easy lay-up that gave Gannon a 25-18 lead.

The Lady Knights began to pull away thanks to a 14-3 run that lasted just under four minutes. Kleber started the run by sinking a three, followed by a lay-up from Shanna Thompson (Shaker Heights, Ohio / Shaker Heights). Kleber's next three put the Lady Knights ahead by 11. Thompson, Tamerlano and Danielle Tucker (Rochester, N.Y. / East) scored Gannon's next six points. Gannon led by as many as 16 and held a 43-29 lead heading into the break.

Gannon shot 40.5 percent in the game, taking a total of 74 shots. Central State was 29-of-60 from the field, netting 48.3 percent of their attempts. Thirty of Gannon's 50 rebounds came off the offensive glass and Gannon's bench out-scored Central State's by a 34-12 margin.

Tucker recorded the first double-double of her career with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The redshirt freshman was 6-of-12 from the field. 

Kleber and Tamerlano each added 16 points. Tamerlano was 7-of-12 from the field with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kleber pulled down six rebounds and dished out two assists.

Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn. / E.O. Smith) had six assists without committing a turnover while running Gannon's offense. 

Gannon improved to 10-10 this season while Central State fell to 8-12. The Lady Knights will wrap up a three-game homestand with a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) game against Edinboro at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. 

For a complete box score from tonight's Gannon-Central State women's basketball game, please click here.